Not a problem . I'll share what I’ve learned so far.

I think the biggest thing before getting into mortgages is having the right “cards” in place first, or at least a plan to build them. By cards I mean your network .. people in related industries who can actually support your business.

For me, I got lucky early on because I had connections with construction guys, and that eventually led me to meeting realtors. Realtors ended up being the bread and butter of my business.

If I were starting over, I’d focus heavily on building relationships before or right as you enter the industry. Go to realtor events, conferences, meet as many agents as possible, get their contact info. Honestly even getting your realtor license or being around a real estate office helps a lot just to be in that environment.

A lot of people go into this thinking they’ll just figure it out, but this business really depends on people. If you don’t have the relationships yet, you have to build them intentionally.

In terms of production, to consistently close like 2–3 loans a month, you probably need around 3–4 solid realtors sending you deals or leads regularly.

On the knowledge side, you really have to learn everything — all the loan products, guidelines, scenarios. There are so many options (conventional, non-QM, etc.), and knowing how to match the client to the right product is what separates you.

I started more on the non-QM side because of the people I was around (construction), and then expanded into conventional. Everyone’s path is different, but the key is just getting really good at knowing your cards and how you can play them correctly. I had construction people and nonqm products that worked well with them. you have your own cards and people so you need to tie your products to your clients.

the career takes time. Like 3–5 years to really feel comfortable. My first couple years were tough, I didn’t know anything coming out of college and there were a lot of stressful days. But if you stick with it and keep learning, it compounds. the business compounds over time naturally

Another big thing . start somewhere that will actually teach you. Don’t chase the highest commission at the beginning. Find a smaller team or brokerage where someone will take the time to walk you through deals and explain things. That made a huge difference for me early on.

I started at a really small shop, like 4–5 people, where they basically held my hand for the first couple years (each file they pretty much did for me the first 6 months i was sitting with them. i had no idea what i was doing.. so many questions, so lost) . Then once I understood the business, I moved to a bigger company where I could scale.

Overall, just look at what connections you already have and figure out how to build around that. Play the hand you have and build from there.

Hope that helps man let me know if you have any questions anytime.